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2009 Nissan GT-R

Published 3:26 pm Thursday, July 24, 2008

When a guy in a black Lamborghini convertible with the top down pulls up next to you on the freeway and gives you the thumbs up, you know you’re driving the hottest car on the road.

That was me, in the 2009 Nissan GT-R. The first person to buy a GT-R in the U.S. had taken delivery just the week before, in California, so my tester was the only other GT-R on the entire West Coast.

I lost count of the number of people gesturing wild approval and using cell phones and cameras to get pictures of the GT-R as I went by. While stopped at a gas station, I got a marriage proposal from a gorgeous hunk at least half my age. I was tempted, but it would have been too Harold and Maude.

The all-new Nissan GT-R (for Gran Turismo Racer) is the fifth generation of the company’s famed high-performance supercar, which originally carried the name Skyline GT-R and was a legendary race-winner in Japan. It was last produced there in 2002, and this is the first time it has ever been available in the United States.

The GT-R is a coupe with two roomy, comfortable front bucket seats and two unroomy back seats suitable for small people who enjoy sitting in the cannonball position.

Power comes from an outrageous, hand-built 3.8-liter twin turbo V6 generating 480 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. It’s paired with a dual clutch six-speed transmission that works as an automatic or a manual with paddle shifters, and has driver-selectable modes including R (maximum performance, quickest shifts), Normal (smoothness and efficiency), and Snow (gentler starts and shifts in slippery conditions). The suspension and Vehicle Dynamic Control system can be similarly programmed; VDC can also be disengaged. Fuel economy ratings are 16/21 mpg.

GT-R is built on an all-new Premium Midship platform that enables the use of the first independent rear transaxle ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive system, which places the transmission, transfer case and final drive at the car’s rear. It provides optimal weight distribution and the best handling imaginable.

GT-R rides on exclusively-developed nitrogen-filled high-performance tires (255/40R20 in front, 285/35R20 in back) wrapped around forged lightweight alloy wheels (20 by 9.5 inches in front, 20 by 10.5 inches in back). The 15-inch Brembo brakes have six-piston front and four-piston rear monoblock calipers.

It would be stupid and hilarious for me to describe the GT-R’s handling and performance characteristics, given that I was restricted to heavily patrolled public roads, experiencing a fraction of GT-R’s capabilities. I will say, however, that this car’s acceleration is dizzying. Literally.

Using their test track, Car and Driver magazine reported a quarter-mile time for the GT-R of 11.5 seconds at 124 mph. At Germany’s Nurburgring Nordschleife track, the GT-R had one of the fastest times ever achieved by a production vehicle: 7 minutes, 29 seconds. That says it all about the car’s handling and performance.

An almost equally interesting thing about the GT-R is that it comes with the same comfort and convenience features as a family sedan. My tester, the Premium version (there’s also a base model), had heated front seats, eight-way power driver’s seat, three cupholders, dual-zone automatic climate control, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, outside temperature display, power windows and door locks, navigation system, nine-speaker Bose audio with CD/MP3/WMA and XM satellite radio, and a Bluetooth phone system.

Oh, and the GT-R has a cavernous trunk. My 22-inch suitcase fit lengthwise inside it, plus my computer case, gym bag and more, with gobs of space left over. The trunk’s opening is big, too: 3 feet wide by about 16 inches.

I just hated giving up the key to this one. Not only was I in the hottest car on the road, but I was also the happiest driver.